Convert Windows BMP images to EPOC MBM format with a right click

Download These Files and unzip them into one of the folders on your default path (eg. \Windows\ or \Windows\Command\ )

Copy the BMCONV.EXE file (as supplied by Psion on your PsiWin CD) into the same folder (you can also pick it up here if it's easier)

Open up 'My Computer' and click on 'View'|'Options' , followed by the 'New Type' button to obtain this dialog :-

Type in the description and the extension as shown. Make sure only the option button shown is ticked and click OK.

'EPOC Picture' will then be highlighted in the registered 'file types'

Click on 'Edit' followed by 'New' and enter the following details :-

Click on OK and close the dialogs.

You can now repeat the process for conversions in the other direction. This is similar but slightly more complicated:-

Locate the 'Bitmap Image' associations and click on 'Edit' :-
Click on the 'New' button.
Add the 4 shade convertor :-
Then repeat this process for the 16 shade convertor:-

Now when you right-click on a Windows bitmap (*.BMP) file, or on an EPOC picture (*.MBM), you should get the option to convert between the two.

[When this article was first written, it only included the two convertors mentioned above. It has since been updated and now includes convertors for 16 colours (MBM16C.EXE), 256 colours (MBM256C.EXE) and 64K colours (MBM64K.EXE). These can be set up in a similar manner to the greyscale versions mention above.]

If you prefer to use a graphics package, you may also like to try the freeware program XNView which supports EPOC picture formats directly.

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Sunday, 15 February 2004